Hagerman Fossil Beds

Hagerman Fossil Beds **,""**., U.S. Department of the lnterior p A ffi ffi & Cambrian 594 mya s s Ordovician $ilurian 505 mya 438 mya Smithsonian lnstitutlon * .%* Sffifu, ffi. ffi Devonian 408 mya Paleontologists admire one of the quarry's fossils in 1934. The fossils occur in layered beds exposed in cliffs above the Snake River (photo at right). td ffiex-e What the Scientists Found No other fossil beds preserve such varied land and aquatic species from the time period called the Pliocene Epoch. More than 140 animal species of both vertebrates and invertebrates and 35 plant species have been found in hundreds of individual fossil sites. Eight species are found nowhere else, and 44 were found here first. The Hagerman Horse, Equus simplicidens, exemplifies the quality of fossils. From these fossil beds have come both complete and partial skeletons of this zebra-like ancestor of today's horse. skulls and 20 complete skeletons from an area called the Horse Quarry. The Smithsonian exchanged some of these Hagerman Horse skeletons with other museums, which has resulted in their display around the world. Additional scientific expeditions have been conducted over the years by other museums and universities. More than 200 published scientific papers focus on the Hagerman fossil species. ln 1929, paleontologists from the Smithsonian lnstitution in Washington, D.C., made the first scientific excavations at IJ aqerman Fossil Beds FI Naronar Monumenr rs Hagerman Fossil Beds. A local rancher, Elmer Cook, had shown the fossil beds to a government geologist, Dr. mo$t famous for the horse that Harold Stearns. The Smithis ldaho's state fossil. lt is sonian finds led to more expemost significant for its variety, ditions in the '1930s. lts quantity, and quality of fossils, National Museum of Natural evidence of animals or plants History excavated 120 horse present in the Earth's crust. Hagerman Fossil Beds has produced 20 com- plete skeletons of Eguus simpticidens, the Hagerman Horse. M E b s Carboniferous Permian 32A mya 286 mya o z o G E N O Z O I \, F Triassic Jurassic 248 mya Cretaceous 213 mya 144 mya o tr O O o tr O o cO o tr O O o Oo o Oo -gu.9EE66 6 8 fn rtiocene tirnes the clirnate was tt'lore wet here i*nd the veg-' C #&lli ooo rgtr d OO r-i(lO xoo o'iio. Epochs af the c ENOZ Or C Holocene present v Horses reintroduced into North America by Spanish 1500's Extinction of North American megafauna, - Adapt, Migrate, or Become Extinct Clues in the Landscape The 600-foot-high bluffs rising above the Snake River and comprising the Hagerman Fossil Beds reveal the environment at the end of the Pliocene Epoch. Grassy plains dotted with ponds and forest stands then received over twice today's 10 inches of yearly precipitation. Mastodons, sabretooth cats, beavers, muskrats, otters, camels, antelope, deer, ground sloths, hyena-like dogs, and fish, frogs, snakes, and waterfowl lived here. The sediment layers from river level to bluff tops span some 550,000 years: from 3.7 million years old at river level to 3.15 million years old atop the bluff. These layers were deposited when rivers flowing into ancient Lake ldaho flooded the countryside. The much later Bonneville Flood, 15,000 years ago, carved the high bluffs, exposing the layers and fossils. This flood also deposited fields of so-called melon gravel- lava boulders ranging in size from a compact car to watermelonsfrom today's river level to gravel bars 225 feet higher. When significant environmental change occurs, most plants and animals have three options; adapt, migrate, or become extinct. The ancient ecosystem represented by fossil plants and animals illustrates each response as the region changed from a wetter grassland savanna to the drier The sediments in the bluffs include river sands, thin shale layers deposited in ponds, clay flood deposits, and occasional volcanic deposits such as ash high-desefi conditions of and basalt. lt is the radioactive elements such as potassium 40 in the volcanic ashes that allowed scientists to determine the age of the fossils by measuring the rate at which one radioactive element breaks down into another. This Hagerrnan Horse skull, now in the collection of the Smithsonian lnstitution, closely resembles that of today's zebra. today. Adapted: Hagerman's beaver and muskrat and many birds are similar or ancestral to today's species. Migrated: Llamas migrated to South America, while camels and horses traveled across the Bering Land Bridge to Eurasia. Extinct: Ground sloths became extinct, along with mastodons and other large herbivores. With the disappearance of their primary prey, sabre-tooth cats and hyena-like dogs also became extinct. Hagerman Fossil Beds is one of the few sites that preserves the necessary variety and quantity of fossil evidence to study past climates and including horses 11,000 - 10,000 BP Bonneville Flood 15,000 BP Damming of Snake River by McKinney Butte Basall50,000 BP lmmigration of bison into North America from Eurasia 400,000 BP Lake ldaho drains 1.7 mya lmmigration of mammoth into North America from Eufasia 1.9 mya ffi ancient ecosystems. Fossil I studies also add to contemporary research on biodiversity, wetlands ecology, and evolutionary patterns. Pleistocene 2 mya First appearance of modern horse Equus at Hagerman j.2 mya Volcanic eruption at Yellowstone deposits Peters Gulch Ash at Hagerman 3.7 mya Ancestral Snake River begins depositing sediments at Hagerman 4 mya First appearance of modern beaver, Castor , I I I 4.8 mya Extinction of rhinos in Nodh America 4.8 mya Adapted: Beaver that lived here in Pliocene times adapted to change, and their descendents live here today. Pliocene {:ry Banbury Basalt forms floor of what is now the Hagerman Valley I - 11 mya Bruneau-Jarbidge eruption south of Hagerman deposits ash as far east as ---x-- National Geographic Society Nebraska 11 mya First elephants (go mphotheres,) immigrate into North America from Eurasia 14.5 mya Migrated: Horses migrated to Eurasia when habitat conditions Miocene 25 mya changed here, Spaniards reintroduced horses to North America around 1500. Gap in the record First appearance of beavers 35 mya Oligocene 38 mya V Volcanism in the Challis area begins 51 mya Extinct: Mastodons were not able to adapt or migrate and ,,to became extinct. ,6 First horse, Hyracotherium 57.5 mya -r/g Paleocene V @ Extinction of dinosaurs 65 mya Gap in the record Colossal flooding through the valley of the Snake River 15,000 years ago tumbled rocks from the size of watermelons to compact cars and deposited them in today's Hagerman Valley. Flood waters also exposed the layers and fossils of Hagerman Fossil Beds in the bluffs above the Snake River. o tto From the visitor center in m I TI o o o IJ. tr (E E L o ct) $ I I 'q, #'% %-t r -*.i::E *,. P r''F.ff :w Hagerman you can look across the Snake River to the bluffs that hold a wealth of fossils. From river level to the top of the bluffs the fossil record spans 550,000 years. Many,species of birds and other animals that today frequent the Snake River's banks and nearby wetlands are similar to those fossilized in the bluffs. Native vegetation of the Hagerman area typifies species adapted to high desert conditions. Sagebrush and rabbit brush dominate along with grasses. Native American peoples now called the Shoshone-Bannock and Shoshone-Paiute tribes have lived in the Hagerman Valley for some 1,20O years. From the rich fishery they caught and dried salmon, steelhead trout, whitefish, and other fish, including sturgeon weighing 1,500 pounds or more. They dug camas-lily and other roots for food and harvested various seeds, fruits, and other plants. They hunted mostly small game but also mountain sheep, elk, deeL and bison. Pristine segments of the Oregon Trail are located in the southern portion of the monument. The Snake River Plain was a difficult stretch for emigrants struggling to make their way west. lntense summer heat, dust, wind, and lack of water made the crossing of this sagebrush plain an ordeal. The Hagerman Valley was one of the few places where the Snake River Canyon was accessible and where emigrants could trade for fish with Native Americans. Another 700 miles of arduous travel lay ahead. ldaho gold rush in 1862 an increase in both freight began in 1879, with alfalfa growing by John Bell. ln 1882, the Oregon Short Line railroad arrived north of the valley, and farming settlement increased. Farming continues today with sugar beets and potatoes as major crops. Bounded on the east by basalt cliffs formed from past lava flows, the valley boasts many springs. Their water exits the ground at a consistent temperature ideal for : raising trout commercially. The i springs also keep the river from lfreezing in winteri so migrating I waterfowl winter over here. Visiting the National M,ohument A temporary visitor center offers information and fossil displays across from Hagerman High School along U.S. Highway 30 in town (221 N. State Street) from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in summer. At other times call ahead, (208| 837-4793, for hours of operation. Schedules of educational programs are listed in The Fossi/ Record newsletter. For more information write to: Superintendent, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, P.O. Box 570, Hagerman, lD 83332. For an easy view of the monument, drive south from Hagerman on Highway 30 past the road to Wendell and take the next right turn (0.25 mile), marked "Sportsman's Access." Follow the signs to the Bell Rapids boat dock on the Snake River for fishing, water sports, or viewing birds along the scenic shoreline. The 4,281-acre monument, across the river, includes 7 miles of shoreline. Reenactors bring back to life the experience of the On Monument Land To reach a Regulations and Safety Do not wheelchair accessible boardwalk overlook, continue south on Highway 30 and cross the Snake River. Turn right on Bell Rapids road and continue 2.8 miles. The parking lot is on the right, one tenth of a mile after you enter the monument. The boardwalk with wayside exhibits provides a commanding view of the fossil beds and Snake River and is a good place to watch waterfowl. Farther along this road white stakes mark the historic Oregon Trail. Another wayside exhibit is planned for the top of this grade. move or take any fossil, rock, or plant. All plants and animals are protected by law, even rattlesnakes and scorpions and other noxious insects. Beware and give them room. Some areas are closed to public use. Check with a ranger before venturing out. At points along the road there are nice views of the Snake Rive( Hagerman Valley, and the slopes exposing the fossil beds. You should return along this same road. Before driving this or any other road in the monument, please check at the visitor center for complete directions, important safety warnings, and private property restrictions. Other improvements for visitor enjoyment are underway and in planning stages. emigrants headed west on the sage through the Hagerman area, Oregon Trail in stillsome 700 the 19th century. Wagon ruts reveal traces of the Trail's pas- mites short of the emigrantsn destinations. ffiT E lf you see a fossil, please do not pick it up; report its location to a ranger so important information can be gathered. Many fossils are fragile and must be protected by trained experts before they can be moved safely. tl I I l*--] Unpaved t.-:--:l Hunting zone (shown road boundary by yellow stakes -7Eml-;t Distance on ground) lo.BkmTlindicator I E E Ranger station B Fsins Boat launch Falls Dam ldaho Power Boat Dock -C. o r9" 'ia/ I .I9l .s '-*-I", 'u 4-"-, I BELL RAPIDS PROJECT \o 1C EI ol ToQ/ and Bliss Lower Salmon / (private irrigated cropland) la tiii ':a^ -) \ r:; \o= 8l =l I I I I I I I BELL RAPIDS PROJECT (private irrigated cropland) I I | I 3431ft 1069m. I FOSSIL BEDS } I I NATIONAL i CAUTTON I There are no developed hiking trails in the park. Entering the park can be dangerous because of landslides, rattlesnakes, and scorpions, Obey all hazard signs! i\ I rl MONUM8NT *1;i' LOWER Paved road ends Turn around area SALMON FALLS RESERVOIR ..ci sotsft' CI)' 934m '.t, ?d'tu 3508ft' 1093m Scenic overlook ..,./ Trail Dashed lines indicate the approximate route of the trail in places where it is no longer visible. Solid lines show sections of the trail that are visible today. Vi3ible sections are indicated on the ground by white stakes. o o "'' 1 Kilometer